The finite element stress analysis technique offers the potential of improving on implant design without the associated risk and expense of implantation trial and error. To date, there has been limited use of this technique in the design and/or evaluation of design of dental implants, and where this technique has been used no correlation has been made between clinical peformance, i.e. histological acceptance of the implant and radiographic results, and the predicted stress distributions. The proposed research will concentrate specifically on correlating the predicted stress distributions from various models developed in stepwise refinements, with actual clinical results of endosseous implants which have been implanted into canine mandibles. Thus the appropriate modeling assumptions will be generated and the actual usefulness of this technique as applied to the design of dental implants will be evaluated. The analysis will begin with a plane stress two dimensional technique. Refinements will include: 1) a finer grid pattern paying particular attention to regions of interface, 2) effects of boundary conditions, 3) a three dimensional axi-symmetric model, 4) the use of inelastic material properties where appropriate and 5) the use of a full three dimensional model.